Clubs accept new members by invitation, so we recommend you first reach out to a club in your area to learn more. It's not only a good way to get to know us—it's also a great way to get involved in your community.

"I was lost in translation, lost on the other side of the world. Being a member of a Rotary club made my transition a whole lot easier."

No matter where her job as a diplomat takes her, Rachel Coupaud knows there will be a Rotary club nearby to welcome her.

Coupaud, currently the minister counselor at the Haitian Embassy in Taiwan, was first introduced to Rotary in Montréal, Canada, at the age of 30.

"I loved the experience. They helped me fit in," she says. "The club exemplified what Rotary is all about: friendship, service, and fun. It was something I was looking for all my life."

When Coupaud returned home to Haiti, she joined the Rotary Club of Port-au-Prince. A couple years later she left for Taiwan and connected with the Rotary Club of Taipei, whose members helped her overcome the language barrier. "I was just lost in translation, lost on the other side of the world," she says of the transition. "And Rotary made it a whole lot easier."

Coupaud appreciates the people, the mentorship, the community service, and the learning. "As Rotary members, we may come together from different countries and cultures, but at a club breakfast, lunch, or dinner we come as one," she says.

Are you an established professional wanting to make positive changes in your community and around the world?

Becoming a Rotarian connects you with a diverse group of professionals who share your drive to give back. Over a meal or coffee, or even online, you'll:

Clubs accept new members by invitation, so we recommend you first reach out to a club in your area to learn more. It's not only a good way to get to know us—it's also a great way to get involved in your community.

Rachel’s home away from home: Rotary

"I was lost in translation, lost on the other side of the world. Being a member of a Rotary club made my transition a whole lot easier."

No matter where her job as a diplomat takes her, Rachel Coupaud knows there will be a Rotary club nearby to welcome her.

Coupaud, currently the minister counselor at the Haitian Embassy in Taiwan, was first introduced to Rotary in Montréal, Canada, at the age of 30.

"I loved the experience. They helped me fit in," she says. "The club exemplified what Rotary is all about: friendship, service, and fun. It was something I was looking for all my life."

When Coupaud returned home to Haiti, she joined the Rotary Club of Port-au-Prince. A couple years later she left for Taiwan and connected with the Rotary Club of Taipei, whose members helped her overcome the language barrier. "I was just lost in translation, lost on the other side of the world," she says of the transition. "And Rotary made it a whole lot easier."

Coupaud appreciates the people, the mentorship, the community service, and the learning. "As Rotary members, we may come together from different countries and cultures, but at a club breakfast, lunch, or dinner we come as one," she says.

Develop Leadership Skills

Whether you're a student or starting your career, there are many ways Rotary can help you become a better leader.

Taras Mytkalyk started a Rotaract club as a way to get things done in his hometown of Kyiv, Ukraine. In the past year, his club raised money for an animal shelter, collected clothes for needy children, and visited a nursing home to boost the spirits of elderly residents. Members also gathered for poker nights, cookouts, and holiday parties.

Mytkalyk believes in giving everyone in the club the opportunity to lead. Identifying a community need and finding a solution is empowering to members—and can have a noticeable impact. "Young people in Ukraine are attracted to this movement because they see the results of their work," he says. "There's no need to wait for somebody's approval or to go through bureaucratic procedures—they can just go out and do good, while having fun along the way."

Are you a student or young professional looking to grow your leadership skills?

We have clubs and programs that can help you increase these skills, gain world understanding, and make lifelong friendships—all while making a real difference in your community.

Rotaract is for emerging leaders ages 18–30 who want to develop their professional and leadership skills while helping others.

Interact is for students ages 12–18 who have an interest in community service and global exchange. Interact clubs are often affiliated with a local school.

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is a leadership training program for young people, run by local clubs.

Taras was looking for a way to make lasting improvements in his hometown of Kyiv, Ukraine.

"There's no need to wait for somebody's approval–they can just go out and do good, while having fun along the way."

Taras Mytkalyk started a Rotaract club as a way to get things done in his hometown of Kyiv, Ukraine. In the past year, his club raised money for an animal shelter, collected clothes for needy children, and visited a nursing home to boost the spirits of elderly residents. Members also gathered for poker nights, cookouts, and holiday parties.

Mytkalyk believes in giving everyone in the club the opportunity to lead. Identifying a community need and finding a solution is empowering to members—and can have a noticeable impact. "Young people in Ukraine are attracted to this movement because they see the results of their work," he says. "There's no need to wait for somebody's approval or to go through bureaucratic procedures—they can just go out and do good, while having fun along the way."

Exchange Ideas

Expand your network-and your worldview.

Exchange Ideas

Expand your network-and your worldview.

Share diverse perspectives

Rotary brings together great minds from nearly everywhere in the world.

Share diverse perspectives

Are you interested in sharing your unique skills and experiences with others in your community?

Rotary unites people from all continents, cultures, and occupations—it's truly one of our greatest strengths. Our members are leaders in their fields and communities. Our diverse perspectives help us to see problems differently—and help us solve them in communities throughout the world.

Through Rotary, our members find many ways to meet, exchange ideas, and make lifelong friendships, including:

Weekly club meetings

Online discussion boards

Interest-based affinity groups

Local events

Our annual international convention

Interested in connecting with Rotary members in your community?

“By traveling the world you get an understanding that other people have the same problems and the same joys that you have.”

There isn't a place in the world that Richard Huston wouldn't like to see. So when the chance came to visit Taiwan as part of a Rotary Friendship Exchange, he was happy to board the plane with fellow Rotary members from Minnesota. They spent 10 days in Taipei and Yilan, staying with two different host families. It was like nothing he'd ever experienced. "I feel that I now have lifelong friends."

The differences in culture and lifestyle were stark in some ways, says Huston, who is a veterinarian and lives on 150 acres of prairie in a town of 20,000. His new friends live on the 14th floor of an apartment building in a city of 7 million. But they connected on a personal level. "We laugh and we talk about serious things and family and the goals of Rotary," he says.

Since his initial trip to Taiwan, Huston has hosted several of his Taiwanese friends, who visited farms, drove tractors, and watched robots milk cows. They met up again at the Rotary convention in Lisbon and made plans to travel to Africa and Brazil in the next few years. "By traveling the world you get an understanding that other people have the same problems and the same joys that you have."

Are you interested in sharing your unique skills and experiences with others in your community?

Rotary unites people from all continents, cultures, and occupations—it's truly one of our greatest strengths. Our members are leaders in their fields and communities. Our diverse perspectives help us to see problems differently—and help us solve them in communities throughout the world.

Through Rotary, our members find many ways to meet, exchange ideas, and make lifelong friendships, including:

Weekly club meetings

Online discussion boards

Interest-based affinity groups

Local events

Our annual international convention

Interested in connecting with Rotary members in your community?

Richard acquired something invaluable on his trip to Taiwan–lifelong friendships.

“By traveling the world you get an understanding that other people have the same problems and the same joys that you have.”

There isn't a place in the world that Richard Huston wouldn't like to see. So when the chance came to visit Taiwan as part of a Rotary Friendship Exchange, he was happy to board the plane with fellow Rotary members from Minnesota. They spent 10 days in Taipei and Yilan, staying with two different host families. It was like nothing he'd ever experienced. "I feel that I now have lifelong friends."

The differences in culture and lifestyle were stark in some ways, says Huston, who is a veterinarian and lives on 150 acres of prairie in a town of 20,000. His new friends live on the 14th floor of an apartment building in a city of 7 million. But they connected on a personal level. "We laugh and we talk about serious things and family and the goals of Rotary," he says.

Since his initial trip to Taiwan, Huston has hosted several of his Taiwanese friends, who visited farms, drove tractors, and watched robots milk cows. They met up again at the Rotary convention in Lisbon and made plans to travel to Africa and Brazil in the next few years. "By traveling the world you get an understanding that other people have the same problems and the same joys that you have."

Advance your education

From college scholarships to our renowned Peace Fellowships, Rotary supports the educational aspirations of thousands of future leaders.

Advance your education

Are you a demonstrated young leader seeking a scholarship?

From scholarships to a local music camp to full graduate fellowships, Rotary offers many ways to support your education.

For young leaders who embody our belief of service above self, many local Rotary clubs provide academic scholarships for undergraduate, graduate, and even international study to students in their area.

Path Heang has good reason to work toward peace. His family fled from bombs falling on their village in Cambodia, and he spent part of his childhood toiling in the rice fields of a Khmer Rouge labor camp.

Heang's desire to help his country heal from years of brutality eventually led him to the University of Queensland in Australia, where he studied as a Rotary Peace Fellow. Now, as chief of a UNICEF field office, Heang manages six programs that help improve the lives of millions of women and children in his country's poorest households.

In his studies Heang explored the Khmer Rouge tribunal and security issues in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

"I am in a senior position because of the analytical skills and tools I learned as a peace fellow," Heang says. "Now I can influence national policy for the poor in Cambodia."

Are you a demonstrated young leader seeking a scholarship?

From scholarships to a local music camp to full graduate fellowships, Rotary offers many ways to support your education.

For young leaders who embody our belief of service above self, many local Rotary clubs provide academic scholarships for undergraduate, graduate, and even international study to students in their area.

Path Heang has good reason to work toward peace. His family fled from bombs falling on their village in Cambodia, and he spent part of his childhood toiling in the rice fields of a Khmer Rouge labor camp.

Heang's desire to help his country heal from years of brutality eventually led him to the University of Queensland in Australia, where he studied as a Rotary Peace Fellow. Now, as chief of a UNICEF field office, Heang manages six programs that help improve the lives of millions of women and children in his country's poorest households.

In his studies Heang explored the Khmer Rouge tribunal and security issues in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

"I am in a senior position because of the analytical skills and tools I learned as a peace fellow," Heang says. "Now I can influence national policy for the poor in Cambodia."

Discover new cultures

Ever wonder what life is like halfway around the world?

For youth, participating in an international exchange will help you learn about another culture—and yourself—while promoting global understanding. Many clubs sponsor youth exchanges in which you can spend up to a year in another country, staying with a host family and attending school.

Sarita Jarmack is only 25 but her passport is filled with stamps from more than two dozen countries—Honduras, Ireland, Panama, Sri Lanka, China—and the list goes on. But her very first stamp is from Sweden, where she spent a year as a Rotary Youth Exchange student in high school. Youth Exchange fueled her love of meeting new people in new countries. "When I am in certain places for a long enough time I feel like I am part of that place and part of the people," she says. "I learn the languages, I learn the customs, I embrace the love from the mothers, and I play with the little kids."

Jarmack credits Rotary member Michelle Frechette with helping fulfill her quest for adventure, including the chance to earn a master's degree in international relations in Denmark thanks to a Rotary scholarship. "Michelle has led me to opportunities that quite frankly were unimaginable," she says. Frechette sees a similar enthusiasm for learning in all of the students her club has helped sponsor. "I look at the kids we select for Youth Exchange as being able to solve long-term global problems."

Ever wonder what life is like halfway around the world?

For youth, participating in an international exchange will help you learn about another culture—and yourself—while promoting global understanding. Many clubs sponsor youth exchanges in which you can spend up to a year in another country, staying with a host family and attending school.

Sarita Jarmack is only 25 but her passport is filled with stamps from more than two dozen countries—Honduras, Ireland, Panama, Sri Lanka, China—and the list goes on. But her very first stamp is from Sweden, where she spent a year as a Rotary Youth Exchange student in high school. Youth Exchange fueled her love of meeting new people in new countries. "When I am in certain places for a long enough time I feel like I am part of that place and part of the people," she says. "I learn the languages, I learn the customs, I embrace the love from the mothers, and I play with the little kids."

Jarmack credits Rotary member Michelle Frechette with helping fulfill her quest for adventure, including the chance to earn a master's degree in international relations in Denmark thanks to a Rotary scholarship. "Michelle has led me to opportunities that quite frankly were unimaginable," she says. Frechette sees a similar enthusiasm for learning in all of the students her club has helped sponsor. "I look at the kids we select for Youth Exchange as being able to solve long-term global problems."

Take Action

Help us create lasting change in communities around the world.

Take Action

Help us create lasting change in communities around the world.

Explore our causes

We're committed to taking on some of the world's most pressing challenges.

Explore our causes

Do you know what we’re doing in your community—and around the world?

Rotary members unite at home and across the globe to put our experience and knowledge to work tackling our most pressing challenges. We focus our efforts in six areas: promoting peace, preventing diseases, providing access to clean water and sanitation, enhancing maternal and child health, improving basic education and literacy, and helping communities develop.

We are especially dedicated to ending polio in our lifetimes. Rotary members have persevered in this fight since 1979 and have now helped eradicate polio in all but three countries worldwide.

When you give to Rotary, you support the work we do in your community and around the world. We are a responsible organization that uses nearly 90% of our funding for program expenses.

Rotary began fighting polio nearly 30 years ago, and although our work has reduced the number of cases of the disease by 99 percent worldwide, new outbreaks and dangerous conditions make the total eradication of polio a constant challenge.

For example, in Côte d'Ivoire it's been over two years since the disease last surfaced. But with polio-endemic in nearby Nigeria, the possibility of a fresh outbreak looms over the country. The only way to keep the poliovirus at bay is to continue administering regular immunizations to all children under the age of five.

During National Immunization Days last year, 7.5 million children in Côte d'lvoire received two drops of oral polio vaccine, along with vitamin A supplements and de-worming tablets.

This accomplishment is underscored by our volunteers' willingness to put their lives at risk. Just last year, 20 polio vaccinators were killed in Pakistan.

"Polio eradication is not an option, it's an obligation," says Richmond-Ahoua, chair of Rotary's PolioPlus Committee in Côte d'lvoire. "When you consider what's been done in Côte d'lvoire, despite the many obstacles we've faced, you are deeply convinced that polio will soon be eradicated."

Do you know what we’re doing in your community—and around the world?

Rotary members unite at home and across the globe to put our experience and knowledge to work tackling our most pressing challenges. We focus our efforts in six areas: promoting peace, preventing diseases, providing access to clean water and sanitation, enhancing maternal and child health, improving basic education and literacy, and helping communities develop.

We are especially dedicated to ending polio in our lifetimes. Rotary members have persevered in this fight since 1979 and have now helped eradicate polio in all but three countries worldwide.

When you give to Rotary, you support the work we do in your community and around the world. We are a responsible organization that uses nearly 90% of our funding for program expenses.

Polio is a constant threat in Côte d’Ivoire. Regular immunizations are the only way to keep this tenacious and crippling disease out of the country.

Rotary began fighting polio nearly 30 years ago, and although our work has reduced the number of cases of the disease by 99 percent worldwide, new outbreaks and dangerous conditions make the total eradication of polio a constant challenge.

For example, in Côte d'Ivoire it's been over two years since the disease last surfaced. But with polio-endemic in nearby Nigeria, the possibility of a fresh outbreak looms over the country. The only way to keep the poliovirus at bay is to continue administering regular immunizations to all children under the age of five.

During National Immunization Days last year, 7.5 million children in Côte d'lvoire received two drops of oral polio vaccine, along with vitamin A supplements and de-worming tablets.

This accomplishment is underscored by our volunteers' willingness to put their lives at risk. Just last year, 20 polio vaccinators were killed in Pakistan.

"Polio eradication is not an option, it's an obligation," says Richmond-Ahoua, chair of Rotary's PolioPlus Committee in Côte d'lvoire. "When you consider what's been done in Côte d'lvoire, despite the many obstacles we've faced, you are deeply convinced that polio will soon be eradicated."

Join a project

Are you ready to make a difference in your community, or in communities around the world?

We use our knowledge of local issues to identify areas of need, then apply our expertise and diverse perspectives to the problem. Rotary members are most likely at work in your community right now feeding the hungry, tutoring children, maintaining parks, and more. You can help.

“Every Rotary project anywhere in the world always started with one person who had an idea.”

You won't find fancy cocktails or colorful streamers at these parties. But Rotary members in the Seattle area still have a good time at Rotary First Harvest work parties, where they repackage surplus produce for distribution to the hungry. "The work is rewarding and great fun," says David Schooler, Rotary member and president of Rotary First Harvest. The organization collaborates with farmers, truckers, volunteers, and food banks to move food that might otherwise go to waste to food banks and meal programs for those in need.

Schooler and around 100 Rotary members and friends gather at a warehouse twice a month to break down 1,000-pound bins of food into smaller boxes or serving bags. They also volunteer on farms to gather fresh fruits and vegetables that aren't economically viable for farmers to harvest. In one season, Rotary First Harvest coordinated 1,500 volunteers and provided 3 million family meals.

"Every Rotary project anywhere in the world always started with one person who had an idea," says executive director David Bobanick. "They were able to grow and develop that idea by getting other Rotarians engaged and using that powerful network of Rotary to really change the world."

Are you ready to make a difference in your community, or in communities around the world?

We use our knowledge of local issues to identify areas of need, then apply our expertise and diverse perspectives to the problem. Rotary members are most likely at work in your community right now feeding the hungry, tutoring children, maintaining parks, and more. You can help.

By turning extra produce into meals for the hungry, these Rotarians are helping others while having fun.

“Every Rotary project anywhere in the world always started with one person who had an idea.”

You won't find fancy cocktails or colorful streamers at these parties. But Rotary members in the Seattle area still have a good time at Rotary First Harvest work parties, where they repackage surplus produce for distribution to the hungry. "The work is rewarding and great fun," says David Schooler, Rotary member and president of Rotary First Harvest. The organization collaborates with farmers, truckers, volunteers, and food banks to move food that might otherwise go to waste to food banks and meal programs for those in need.

Schooler and around 100 Rotary members and friends gather at a warehouse twice a month to break down 1,000-pound bins of food into smaller boxes or serving bags. They also volunteer on farms to gather fresh fruits and vegetables that aren't economically viable for farmers to harvest. In one season, Rotary First Harvest coordinated 1,500 volunteers and provided 3 million family meals.

"Every Rotary project anywhere in the world always started with one person who had an idea," says executive director David Bobanick. "They were able to grow and develop that idea by getting other Rotarians engaged and using that powerful network of Rotary to really change the world."

Partner with us

Are you interested in expanding your impact? With Rotary, you can.

From community-based groups who team with their local Rotary club to global organizations who work with us on long-term projects, we can make an even bigger difference when we work together.

We team with partners ranging from local food banks to the United Nations to expand the reach and impact of our work. If you work with an organization that would like to partner with Rotary, please get in touch.

"To be successful, we need leverage — the leverage that comes from collaboration with others who share our goals."

When the children of Ghana shout, "Hey, water! Water!" Michael Anyekase thinks of Rotary International.

Anyekase works for Water for Africa, which partnered with Rotary to provide more than 100 villages in Ghana with clean water through installation of equipment and hygiene training.

More than 85 percent of Ghanaians now have access to clean water, far surpassing the 2015 goals set by the United Nations. Rotary, with its abundant resources and committed global membership, has provided more sources of drinking water in Ghana than any other NGO, Anyekase says.

Samuel Obour, a Rotary leader in Ghana, helped spearhead some projects, and continues to leverage Rotary's proven and highly-successful framework to install latrines and washing stations at schools and markets. After all, Rotary's partnership doesn't end, but rather, gets stronger with time.

Now children don't have to wake up at 4 a.m. to fetch water from miles away. They can go to school. "Children can spend more time being children," says Obour. "Families can spend more time being families. And life can take on a new kind of normalcy.

Are you interested in expanding your impact? With Rotary, you can.

From community-based groups who team with their local Rotary club to global organizations who work with us on long-term projects, we can make an even bigger difference when we work together.

We team with partners ranging from local food banks to the United Nations to expand the reach and impact of our work. If you work with an organization that would like to partner with Rotary, please get in touch.

Rotary partners are helping clean water flow across Ghana like it never has before.

"To be successful, we need leverage — the leverage that comes from collaboration with others who share our goals."

When the children of Ghana shout, "Hey, water! Water!" Michael Anyekase thinks of Rotary International.

Anyekase works for Water for Africa, which partnered with Rotary to provide more than 100 villages in Ghana with clean water through installation of equipment and hygiene training.

More than 85 percent of Ghanaians now have access to clean water, far surpassing the 2015 goals set by the United Nations. Rotary, with its abundant resources and committed global membership, has provided more sources of drinking water in Ghana than any other NGO, Anyekase says.

Samuel Obour, a Rotary leader in Ghana, helped spearhead some projects, and continues to leverage Rotary's proven and highly-successful framework to install latrines and washing stations at schools and markets. After all, Rotary's partnership doesn't end, but rather, gets stronger with time.

Now children don't have to wake up at 4 a.m. to fetch water from miles away. They can go to school. "Children can spend more time being children," says Obour. "Families can spend more time being families. And life can take on a new kind of normalcy.